HetaOni (In story form!)
by Brett Sterling
Summary: HetaOni converted to story form! It will have some things the same, and some different!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HETALIA OR THE STORY-LINE OF HETA ONI!**

 **Chapter 1: The Mansion Where No One Should Enter**

Italy looked around the conference room.

This meeting was as boring as heck.

He couldn't get his mind off of that abandoned house that the others were talking about, though.

Italy's eyes flickered to Germany. He'd taken up his three minutes, and continued talking, but everyone else seemed too bored to care.

And finally, the meeting ended!

"Oh, Germany! Would you go with me to the abandoned Mansion that Prussia was talking about?"

Germany gave Italy a look, "Is there any way to stop you?"

Italy thought for a moment, "Well if you could find me some… PAST-"

"I will go with you. I don't think I can even stomach looking at pasta, much less eating it."

"Can we ask Japan? Prussia already said that he was going!"

"I… I guess so. But, Italy, don't force anyone to go who doesn't want to."

"Alright, thank you, Germany!"

Italy cautiously approached Japan. He wondered how he was going to ask.

"Japan?"

"Italy?"

"Would you go to the abandoned mansion with Germany and I? Prussia is going too!"

Japan studied Italy for a moment before responding, "I suppose I should. I already told China that I wasn't going… but I suppose that doesn't matter."

Italy was so excited! When Germany stopped to talk to someone, Italy jumped on his back, "No time for talking!"

And, they were finally standing before it.

Italy suddenly felt a pang of fear. He grabbed Japan's arm. But… Japan wasn't warm and big like Germany was. He was thin, and cold. Italy slowly let go, and walked to Germany.

"I don't think we should go inside," said Germany.

"What?" said Italy. Even though Italy was scared, he still wasn't stupid enough to NOT go inside. "We've finally found it after all that looking! Let's just take a quick look."

Italy glanced at Prussia for support. "It has such a desolate feel… Not bad."

"I suppose," muttered Germany, "For a little while… It's not very interesting though."

They entered the mansion slowly. It was old, and creaky. It had been built with the special floor type that they use in Japan. Italy considered asking Japan if they should remove their shoes, but he decided not to.

Something crashed to the floor, and Italy jumped. A sudden burst of adrenaline shot through his body, and his heart raced. He latched onto Germany once more for comfort.

"We… should probably go now!" Italy was a bit surprised at the tone of Germany's voice.

"Don't be stupid," said Prussia, "It's not like there's any ghosts or anything."

"Use common sense," Japan added wistfully.

Italy watched as Japan began to walk away, "Be careful!" Prussia called after him.

"I know. I'm going to go and see what happened. Stay here, I'll be back."

*Japan*

Japan went down the right corridor, and tried the first door he saw.

It was locked. Of course. The person who lived here probably wasn't so stupid to leave doors of their giant mansion unlocked. It would be easy for intruders to hide.

He continued down the hallway to a kitchen. The shelves were stocked with food, and utensils. But Japan had enough wisdom to know not to eat it.

Not that he would want to anyway…

The tap didn't seem to work. There were some glass test tubes on the counter.

He tried the door at the back wall of the kitchen, but it wouldn't open.

There was a broken plate on the floor, which seemed to be the source of the noise. Japan was more concerned with what made the plate fall, though.

But, Japan carefully picked up the shards. It would be easy for one to cut themselves on it.

He examined some of the wooden chairs, but nothing was out of the ordinary.

Japan went back down the hall, but Germany, Prussia, and Italy were gone.

Japan wondered if they left.

So, he decided to continue down the other hallway.

He tried the first door, but it was locked.

Japan turned the corner.

…It was a… monster? It looked like all of the comical aliens from the American movies.

Japan remained calm, though his heart was pounding. Luckily, the monster didn't seem to see him.

Maybe… Maybe he was a bit tired? Maybe he was seeing things? He remembered the time that England stayed the night at his house, and it seemed possible.

After a moment, Japan decided to continue with his exploring. He noticed the white of the walls, and he probably should've removed his shoes before walking on the tatami. But no one who knew was around to notice.

Japan entered the bathroom, there was no door, and it was open. He examined the mirror.

Eww… it was so dirty that Japan couldn't see anything in the mirror.

There were some bottle on an upper shelf that Japan decided not to examine. He couldn't reach them anyways.

He checked the cabinet, but there was nothing but dust.

Japan was a little surprised that someone who was so careful to lock the doors would be so careless to keep their house clean. If they could afford this house… it would seem that they would be able to afford servants to go along with it,

Finally (just to humor himself) Japan checked the toilet. It appeared to be an ordinary toilet.

It was strange. Japan wasn't expecting it to be ordinary. Toilets in Japan often had special features to them. But this one seemed to be ordinary.

Japan decided to open the door that the mysterious creature had disappeared into. He was thankful to find that it was locked.

This thankfulness quickly turned to caution. To open the door, it wouldn't have been locked.

This meant that the monster could not only open and close doors, but lock and unlock them as well.

Japan walked back down the hall to the entryway.

The door seemed to be…

Stuck.

It was stuck! Or locked! But by who?

No, Japan remembered to remain calm. The others were still here, most likely. He decided to keep looking around until he could find something.

Japan walked down the last hallway on the first floor. It led to a large room stocked with armor, and different types and styles of Japanese katanas. There were various changing rooms that were covered by a white sheet.

Japan uncovered a note by one of the suits of armor.

It read:

 _Fix the piano, and repair the toilet. Leave the aid kit in the drawer on the second floor._

So, Japan realized that this meant that there was a first aid kit in a drawer on the second floor.

He decided to check it out.

Before he left, he noticed one more door.

Japan wondered if he should even bother trying it.

But he did, and it was locked.

Japan was slightly shocked that a room of weaponry would be left unlocked in the first place. The doors were locked most likely to leave fewer hiding places for a person who had broken in. They would need weaponry to commit a robbery. It was probably just a careless mistake, though.

Once on the second floor, Japan went down the left corridor. There were two doors, only one of which was unlocked. It wasn't… customized enough to be a bedroom. It looked more like a guest room.

But… Germany's whip was lying on the green cover of the bed, which confused Japan. Germany wouldn't usually be so careless to leave it behind.

Japan decided to keep the whip with him, in case he found Germany. He also decided that it would be best to stock up on weapons in case he had any surprise attacks.

Japan reminded himself to keep an eye out for the creature.

In the next corridor, there was only one room. Japan entered, and was met with another guest room. This one had a small changing room, though.

Japan cautiously approached the room. And…

Was that?

Japan heard someone rummaging through something on the other side.

He backed up, and slowly drew his katana.

"Germany?"

Germany's eyes were wide, and his face was pale, he was shaking so hard he could barely speak.

Japan had never seen a high and mighty leader in such a state.

"Germany? Are you alright? Where are the others?"

He seemed to be incapable of answering at the moment.

"I'll go… I'll get you something to drink…"

Japan left quickly. He didn't want to force Germany to give answers if he didn't want to.

Before leaving the second floor, though, Japan decided to check the last door.

Locked. Of course.

Japan decided to take a quick look around for Italy or Prussia on the last two floors before returning to the first floor. It would be better for at least one of them to have an acquaintance.

Slowly, Japan walked up the stairs. They creaked beneath his weight, and Japan hoped that they didn't give out.

On the third floor, every door was locked. He noticed a decorative vase sitting by the top of the hand railing. Japan wondered if it was a Japanese antique. The person who had lived here before seemed to have a house fitting the cultural ways of Japan

After checking all three doors on the third floor, Japan ascended to the top floor.

The fourth floor looked significantly smaller, and Japan guessed that the rooms must be larger.

After checking the two doors, Japan made his way back to the kitchen on the first floor.

He turned on the tap, but then remembered that it didn't work. He'd have to find water elsewhere.

Japan checked the door at the back wall of the kitchen once again to see if anything had changed, but it still didn't open.

Japan walked back across the first floor to the bathroom with the ordinary toilet. He tried the tap, and thank god, it worked.

He obtained some water for Germany.

Back on the second floor, Japan gave the water to Germany.

"It came from the tap in the bathroom," said Japan, "It's not filtered, though-"

No. It was too late anyway. It probably wouldn't hurt him.

Japan stood in silence as Germany took a moment to recover himself. He wondered what Germany had seen or been through to put him in such a state.

"I'm sorry for falling apart like that. I'm much better now, thanks to you."

"Where are the others?"

"I'm not… sure. We ran in different directions when we saw… a monster? It was big and grey, and it resembled America's… friend? I'm not sure about any of that, though."

"I saw it too. At the time, I thought it was my imagination."

"I think Prussia-I'm sorry. Please give me a moment to pull myself together."

"Yes," said Japan, "I'll go look for Italy and Prussia. Take a minute to rest."

"Very well."

Japan was about to walk away when Germany called him back.

"I forgot, I found this when I was running. Could it be of some use to you?"

Germany held up a small door key, "Hai, yes," said Japan, "Arigato."

Japan put the key into his pocket, and decided to go look for the other two.

Japan decided to start his looking on the first floor. Luckily, the key opened the first door down the right hallway, next to the kitchen.

After entering the room, Japan carefully placed the key back into his pocket.

He stepped forward, and tensed.

It was the creature!

Japan backed up as quietly as he could, and waited. It hadn't seen him yet.

After a moment, Japan looked back, and the creature was gone.

Keeping one hand on his sword, he walked slowly around the room.

Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. There were books and notes on a table, but not on anything strange.

There was some onigiri on the table, and Japan carefully obtained it. Maybe it would be of some use to him later?

Japan turned and was approaching the door, when the monster appeared again. It was approaching him quickly, and Japan realized that he could not run now. He would have to fight it.

Hacking at the monster with his katana didn't seem to be doing much, but it was making the monster back down. Japan decided to use the only curse he knew, even though it tired him out.

Red lined of ancient Japanese scripture burned through the floor. Red hot lines slowly wrapped around the monster, and it disappeared.

Japan fell to his knees, panting. He knew he hadn't killed it. He'd scared it away temporarily…

Japan was leaving once more, when the thing attacked him again.

Unfortunately, Japan's Katana proved to be completely useless. He hacked at the monster, but it didn't seem to be going away this time.

Once again, he used the curse. It tired him out, and he had to do it again.

The monster set a curse too, but Japan dodged it. He cursed the monster one final time, and it disappeared.

Japan needed to get out-

It was back again.

But, he knew he didn't have the strength to fight it, so he ran as fast as he could. Japan tugged on the door.

It was locked! The thing must've locked it.

He reached into his pocket for the key… but it wasn't there.

Japan spun on his heel, and immediately scanned the room for the key.

He saw it, but he would have to get past the thing to get it.

Japan sprinted past it, just narrowly avoiding it. On his way back to the door, it'd grown faster.

Shoving the key into the lock, he turned it, and the door popped open.

Japan slammed the door behind him, and locked it.

Japan collapsed on the floor, flat on his back. He was aware that he was getting covered in dust, but he was incapable of getting up.

What was that thing? Japan needed to find the others as soon as possible!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Finding Friends**

Japan wandered around the first floor of the house, looking for his friends.

All of the doors seemed to be locked. He wondered if the monster locked them after his friends were in there.

But… if Germany found a key, then there surely had to be more? Japan needed to keep his eye out.

Japan decided to go check up on Germany. Hopefully Germany had recovered enough to tell Japan what had happened with the others.

Japan walked up the stairs. Once he was in the room, he heard Germany mumbling to himself behind the curtain.

He decided to give Germany a little more time to recover. He still needed to find Prussia and Italy.

Japan wondered if he should go back to the library. It was one of the few doors that was unlocked right now.

But… that was where he saw the monster last. He was fairly sure it was gone, though…

He decided to risk it. He'd recovered enough to fight, and he'd already checked the other rooms. There was nothing else to do.

Japan cautiously opened the door to the library.

He crept inside, and made sure that the thing wasn't there.

It wasn't.

But… there was a key lying on the floor. Japan checked to make sure that he still had the library key, and he did. The thing must have dropped it during their fight.

Japan hurriedly picked it up, and examined it.

He noticed that it was engraved with the words _fourth floor._

So, Japan made his way up to the fourth floor.

He tried the closest door, but it didn't work. It clicked successfully in the farther one, though, and Japan entered.

It was nothing special. It seemed to be another bedroom. It had a bookshelf, and a couch. It had a few tables, too.

Japan noticed a small noise coming from behind the book case. He pushed it out of the way and realized that it was a mochi! It was stuck in the wall! He felt sympathetic for the poor thing, but he couldn't get it out! Maybe Germany could later?

So, Japan went downstairs to find Germany.

He stepped into the room, and immediately noticed the difference.

There was a door, instead of a curtain.

Japan was fairly sure that there had not been a door there before… if there had, it was not an iron door.

He ignored it, though. There were other things that needed immediate attention.

He knocked, "Germany?"

Japan heard Germany's voice from the other side, it echoed and was difficult to understand, "Is that you, Japan?"

"Hai, yes. There is a mochi stuck in a wall on the fourth floor. I was wondering if you might be able to get it out?"

"Sure. I'll take a look. But, I am going to ask a favor from you first."

"Yes?"

"You see… when I was running, I dropped my whip. I need a weapon in case that… THING shows up again… if it's not too much trouble, could you go look for it?"

"Actually… I found your whip a while ago."

"Yes, thank you. Just… slide it under the door."

Japan did. He wondered what Germany was doing behind that door… they hadn't even been there for long. He couldn't possible have some large secret by now…

"It was on the bed next door." Germany's behavior was a little strange. He never acted so unsure of himself.

"Yes… I see…"

"We should probably go to the fourth fl-"

"Japan, I hate to interrupt, but…"

"Yes?" Japan was getting a little frustrated, "What is it?"

"I'm really, very sorry, but do you have anything for me to eat as well? I'm actually very hungry."

What? "I'm sorry, but I didn't bring any food."

"I see if it's not too much trouble, could you go look for something?"

"Wha… what? That's impossible. This house had been abandoned for a while now. Anything I can find would be very old."

"Please! I have no strength right now! Anything is fine; just find me something, okay?"

Could Germany possibly be hiding so no one could see him in weakness?

"…alright. I'll take another look around. I have to find Italy also."

"But, please take this!"

Japan obtained a beer from Germany. Japan didn't drink, but if they couldn't get out of here later, it may be helpful…

"Okay, thank you… I'll be going now."

"Thank you!"

Japan had absolutely no idea what on earth Germany could be doing in there.

Japan decided to look in the most sensible place for food: the kitchen.

He got there, and realized that that may not be the best place to look for food at. Anything had gone bad, and wouldn't be a good idea for anyone to eat anyway.

Unfortunately… he would have to look elsewhere…

Japan decided to look on the other side of the first floor. It was unlikely to find food there, but he couldn't really do anything else.

Japan walked past all of the doors that he remembered to be locked.

He got to the hall where the bathroom was. The place where he saw the monster earlier.

The door that it had disappeared into was wide open, and a pang of fear struck Japan.

He slipped as quietly and stealthily as he could past the door, and into the bathroom.

Japan took a moment to calm down, it was probably Prussia… or Italy! He decided to go, but he wouldn't take any chances by going in.

He left the bathroom, and had another thought. What if one of his friends was in there, in trouble? He had to help them.

So, Japan went into the room. It was dark, and he couldn't see anything.

He blindly groped for a light switch. Once the lights were on…

It was the thing!

Japan didn't have enough time to retrieve his katana before it attacked him.

 _WHAM!_ Japan fell backwards, and his head hit the floor. His vision was cloudy, but he needed to keep moving.

He pulled himself to his feet. He didn't have time for this!

He tried hacking it with his katana, but that didn't seem to work at all anymore.

Three words echoed in the back of Japan's brain.

 _You won't escape._

Japan knew he wasn't thinking them. It was the Thing. He could send messages… Telepathically?

They echoed in his brain over, and over. He couldn't concentrate. The Thing managed to hit him with a stun spell.

Japan's body froze, and for a moment, he thought it was all over.

Japan realized that he needed to remain calm. He needed to focus his energy into defeating this monster.

The stun disappeared, and Japan cursed it. He was so tired. Japan kept going, though.

When the light from the curse dissipated, Japan could see that the thing had… vanished.

Again. It got away.

AGAIN.

It was frustrating. No matter how hard he tried, Japan couldn't defeat this thing.

Japan needed to concentrate on finding Italy, though. He usually didn't do great on his own.

There was another key sitting on the table. It was engraved a _bedroom key_ , though that wasn't very helpful. It seemed as if Japan was going to have to search every story until he found it.

Japan decided to take cover in the bathroom while he thought of a plan. The Thing hadn't seemed to take much interest in that spot yet…

While he was in the bathroom, Japan noticed something strange.

There was a slot for money… on the… toilet.

Japan pulled out some of his money, and inserted it inside. He pressed the button that read Onigiri.

It seemed that Japan could somehow buy something from it if he inserted money.

Surely enough, one Onigiri appeared on the top…

It was strange… but Germany wouldn't be able to eat anything from the kitchen. This looked fine.

There was also a button to purchase beer. Japan decided to get one bottle, it may be helpful for later?

Japan began on the second floor while searching for the correct lock for the key. The two on the right of the first floor were unlocked, and two of the three on the second floor were unlocked as well. The third on the first floor was most likely the basement.

Japan went down the left hallway, and tried the second bedroom.

It successfully clicked in the lock, and Japan entered.

Prussia!

Before Japan could say anything, Prussia spun around, and swung his sword at Japan.

"Whoa, calm down! It's me!" Japan exclaimed.

"Oh, it's you Japan? Ah… sorry."

"Are you-"

"Have you seen the monster? A-a stark, naked giant! It was the color of a rotten scone!"

Japan made a face.

"It's true! We all saw it!" Prussia continued, "West, and Italy and I saw it together!"

"I know."

"Before I knew it… I'd wound up here. Those two… I don't know. Am I making any sense to you, Japan?"

"Yes… It does make sense. I saw it too."

"What the HELL is that thing? And what happened to the others?"

"Please, calm down. Do you need something to drink?"

"Ah? Well… now that you mention it, I am a little thirsty?" Japan wondered why he mentioned it, then. "Do you have some water or something?"

"No… but I can go and get you some."

"Yeah! No… wait… never mind. I don't really need it. We should probably look for West and Italy."

"Germany is on the same floor. He claimed he was hungry… But… I have not found Italy. Do you know where he may be?"

"What?" Prussia sounded surprised, "Italy's missing? Do you think that he was attacked by that monster?"

"Not sure… He is very fast, and good at running away. He probably escaped."

"Alright! I'll look for him too! But first… let's go to where West is, shall we?"

"Yes, but he said he's too hungry to move."

"I did find some mushrooms while I was running away. Will that do?"

"That should do."

"Alright then, lets-" Prussia paused

"What's the matter?"

"Don't you hear the sound of something… getting closer?"

Japan's eyes widened. He pulled the key from his pocket, and hurriedly locked the door.

"Hey," said Prussia, "That thing on your waist isn't just for show! Pull it out of its sheath. You don't want to be eaten."

Japan slowly unsheathed his katana. His heart pounded in his ears.

The thing tugged on the door handle. Japan opened his mouth, as if to say something. But he couldn't find any words.

After a quiet moment, Prussia asked, "Is it gone yet?"

"I think so."

"Let's go then."

As soon as Prussia and Japan left, the Thing sucked them into another fight. Japan was glad that Prussia was here to help him this time.

Japan thrust his katana at its neck. Although no incision was created, it seemed to weaken him in the least bit this time.

"What?" Prussia exclaimed, "I thought it was gone."

"Apparently not."

Japan took a glance at Prussia. He was afraid. Prussia's face was drained of color, and his fingers fumbled with his weapon. Japan knew that he didn't have enough strength to curse the creature just yet, so he continued to use his katana.

"The… the more I look at it," said Prussia, "The scarier it gets. I… I can't-" Japan hacked at the monster yet again. Prussia was too shocked to help. Hopefully he would recover later. Japan couldn't defeat it on his own this time. They couldn't run, either.

The monster became expectant of Japan's style of fighting. It was able to figure out Japan's attacking height, and figure out where he would strike next. Finally, Prussia began to help.

Prussia thrashed at the monster with his sword, and the monster got confused between the two fighting styles.

But, a voice still whispered in the back of Japan's mind.

 _You won't EVER escape…_

The monster cursed them, but Japan managed to shove Prussia out of the way, and dodge it himself.

The monster must have become bored. It FINALLY dissipated.

Japan grabbed Prussia's arm and ran, he'd heard the whooshing sound of its appearance behind them.

It herded them downstairs, and Japan ran to one of the only unlocked doors he knew of: the bathroom.

Prussia slammed the door behind them, and the two of them sank to their knees, panting.

Japan inserted his money into the slot on the toilet, and handed Prussia Onigiri and some beer.

"Have this," said Japan, "We haven't eaten since we got here, and it'll be best to increase energy."

"You got it from…?"

"Shh. It doesn't matter in this situation."

Once they were finished, Japan said, "We should probably go check on Germany." Japan was reminded of the mochi stuck upstairs. He needed to accompany Germany to get it out.

Japan showed Prussia the room where Germany's closet was. "He doesn't want anyone to see him," said Japan. "But this is where he is."

"It's pretty solid," said Prussia, before calling to Germany, "Hey West! Japan told me that you were hungry, do you want some mushrooms?"

"Is that you, Prussia? Are you alright?" Germany's voice was stifled by the door.

"I'm fine, but Italy's still missing! We also have to help a mochi!"

"Hmm… alright," Japan wondered what Germany was even doing. What could he even find to do? "I'm done here. Let's get moving."

"I'm not really sure what we're supposed to do," said Prussia, "But let's go to the fourth floor. There is a mochi in need of help."

"Can we… come back here once in a while," asked Germany.

What could he even be doing that he would need to return to it? Germany was acting quite… shady.

"Fine," said Japan, "Do you specifically like narrow spaces or something?" Japan was getting flustered, "Never mind. Let us go."

"Well… you could say that I'm… I'm used to them. There's a lot of room, though."

"Oh…"

"C'mon!" Prussia finally interrupted their strange conversation.

The three of them walked up the creaky stairs, one of the boards snapped under Germany's foot. "This house is really… Ahh… I don't even know. Just… Just- ah. Never mind."

Japan took them to the room where the mochi was trapped. "Well?" asked Prussia expectantly, "It's stuck pretty deep. Can you do it, West?"

"Ahh… no. I can't do it without the proper tools."

"A tool…" said Prussia, "Well, it's a big house. We could probably find some if we looked around."

"Yes," said Germany.

"I'll look around," said Japan.

"Yeah, I'd be really thankful if you could find something."

"We'll have to split up again," said Prussia.

Japan left, and went to go look for tools.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Allies**

Japan began looking for Italy, and tools to get the Mochi out. He tried the other door on the fourth floor. It was unlocked.

The door had been previously locked, so Japan was cautious when entering. He unsheathed his katana.

The first thing that Japan noticed was a blue lever on the wall. Other than that, it looked like the other bedrooms.

Japan glanced at the sign. The paper was old and yellow, and torn around the edges. It read:

 _Up is Heaven._

 _Middle is Earth._

 _Down is Hell._

Japan decided to flip the lever to the middle.

…

…

…

Nothing happened. Japan was a bit surprised.

Maybe it was broken?

Japan decided to move it to the bottom.

Japan jumped when the lever clicked. Well… _now_ it was broken.

Behind him, there was a grinding sound. He turned around just in time to see a cushion chair slide to the left.

It revealed a rather large hole in the floor.

Japan knelt down to look through the hole, and the floorboards snapped.

He fell through the floor, along with a couple of the floorboards. Japan landed hard. He was lucky he was so small, if any of the others had fallen, they might have fallen through the next floor too.

Japan got up, and brushed the debris off his pristine, white uniform before examining his surroundings.

This room was different from the others. The other rooms were created in the traditional Japanese style, with special furniture and flooring, but this room had patterned, grey carpet. The walls were painted grey too. Book shelves matching the rest of the house's furniture stood at the back. In the middle of the room, there was a shiny black piano.

Japan wondered if it would still play. He pressed a key, and it rang out loudly in the quietness of the room.

Japan quickly played the only tune he knew. It was… strange. The piano seemed to be in tune, even though it'd probably been there for years.

Japan took a quick look around the room, but nothing seemed out of order.

So, he left. He was on the third floor, now.

Japan decided to check the doors one more time, just in case the thing had left one of them unlocked.

He walked down to the front of the hallway, and tried the door on the right.

It was unlocked!

It seemed to be another library. It had only bookshelves, though. There were no tables or chairs like the other library.

Japan was about to check one of the rows of shelves for anything unusual when he heard his name, "Japan!"

"Italy?"

"Japan! You're okay!"

"Yes."

"Right after you left, a monster appeared in the hallway! It attacked us, and we all-"

"Yes I know."

"Germany was the first to scream. You heard him? Germany's scream surprised me. I tried to run away and leave! Sorry, Japan."

"I-"

"But the front door wouldn't open! We all split up!"

"It is okay. Anybody probably would've done the same in that situation," said Japan.

"But what's going on? The exit doors won't open, and our cellphones don't even work!"

"Yeah. I-"

"I'm so glad I found you, Japan! Are you hurt or anything? Aren't you hungry?"

"I am fine. You are surprisingly calm about this."

"Well… when that monster appeared. I wanted to cry and cling to Germany… but Germany and Prussia were both falling apart too. I tried to stay calm, and it worked! I looked around for everyone, so we can get out of here!"

"Yes. That makes sense."

"What about Prussia and Germany. Have you found them yet?"

"Yes. They're on the fourth floor. I'll explain the details on the way."

"Okay! I found some stuff when I was exploring. I'll leave it with you! I also have pasta!"

Japan obtained three beers, three Onigris, and 150 Heta. He wondered where Italy found such and abundant amount of money.

Japan and Italy walked up the stairs. Italy seemed to shift back into his own personality a bit, now that he wasn't all alone.

They opened the door, and Italy screamed. Japan jumped.

"JAPAN! IT'S THE THING!" yelled Italy. So much for stealthily creeping away.

"Tsk! You came too soon," said Prussia, "Japan, take Italy and run!"

"Italy! You're alright!" said Germany

"Germany… ve… your face looks…"

"Me and West will take care of this!" said Prussia. "Go!"

Italy POV:

Italy watched as Japan's eyes widened.

"What?" Japan mumbled, "Can't… hear…"

Japan scratched at his ears as if something was wrong.

Italy grabbed his arm, "Japan! What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"What?" Prussia exclaimed, "Huh? Hey… Italy!" Prussia's voice turned to mumbling, and Italy's ears rang.

"I can't hear you!" Italy hoped he was actually talking, and not muttering incoherently.

Japan's voice rang through Italy's ears, it was the only thing he could hear.

"We need to help them!"

"Yeah!"

"Japan… Italy…" Germany mumbled.

The Thing struck first.

Germany POV-

Italy smacked it with his book. Germany thought that this was strange. What was-

The Thing knocked him, and he landed on his back, wheezing. Luckily, the others were able to keep it busy.

Japan hacked at it with his katana while Prussia stabbed at it with his sword.

Germany got up, and whipped it as hard as he could.

This fight seemed to go on forever. The Thing didn't even show signs of weakness until much later into their fight.

Japan cursed it, and finally, it disappeared.

"Vee… it really is a ghost!" said Italy.

"Italy!" Germany exclaimed, he turned around and walked to him.

Germany vaguely heard Prussia yelling at Japan. Things like, 'you ignored me!'

Germany couldn't find words for Italy at the moment, so he decided to yell at Japan instead.

"You… YOU… actually, I thought we would be able to make it go away on our own. We wouldn't have been able to do it without you two. Are you alright?"

"Yeah!" said Italy, "Japan found me in the third floor library!"

"Thank you, Japan." Germany clapped his hand against Japan's shoulder. "Well, I'm glad you both are alright."

"Yep! You two ran away really fast, and I'd been wondering what happened to you!"

"But, what are we going to do from here?" said Japan.

"The thing could show up at any time! We need to move to a room that is as safe as possible! If the four of us stick together, it won't be so scary!" said Italy.

Prussia POV-

Everybody seemed to be ignoring the fact that the Thing just made Japan and Italy momentarily deaf. It wasn't a mistake.

It made everything more dangerous if it could control parts of their bodies like that.

"Let's look for a room that looks as safe as possible! We shouldn't split up, of course," Germany said.

"Roger, Captain!" Italy replied.

Prussia just hoped that they wouldn't run into it again.

Back to Japan POV-

Before they left, Japan recommended checking behind the small dressing curtain.

Prussia pulled out a wooden box. It seemed to be empty, but anything they found would be good to keep in case it could come in handy later.

Germany wanted to see the room where Japan fell through the floor. Japan took him to it.

But, he did notice something.

The blue lever that had been previously broken…

Was repaired.

The others were looking at where Japan had fallen.

But, Japan decided that there was no harm in trying the lever. He pushed it to the middle. It clicked, and slammed to the bottom. It was broken now.

 _Clink!_ Everybody in the room jumped. A key was resting on the ground. It hadn't been there before.

Italy took cover behind Germany as Japan looked at the key. It was engraved as a second floor key.

Japan was followed by the others as he took the key to the last locked door on the second floor.

It clicked in the lock, and the door opened.

It seemed to be another bedroom. There were two beds, a table, some bookshelves, and a fireplace.

Before Japan locked it, he decided that it would be best to check the other room on the second floor first.

He opened it, and it was another bedroom. All of the furniture matched the rest of the house.

Japan checked the drawers. He found a first-aid kit, and Germany was able to bandage their wounds.

When Japan checked under the coffee table, he found a box of matches. They would be helpful for lighting a fire.

"We can't get too careless. But I think we're safe here, for now. We have the key, and the door is firmly locked from the inside."

"It is only temporary. It should do for one night," Japan said.

"One night is good enough for me. I'm tired from running around all day! I hope we can get out tomorrow, though!" said Prussia.

"Yes. We did run a lot today." Germany leant back, "I need some beer…"

"We should light a fire so we don't die of hypothermia. Japan'd be the first to go," said Prussia.

Japan made a face.

Germany got up to light the fire. He froze, "Is something wrong, West?" asked Prussia.

Germany stood still for another moment before answering, "No…"

"Ahh, that feels nice," said Prussia.

"I'm just glad I'm not alone now! It was really scary at first. Germany was the first to run away when the monster showed up!" said Italy.

"Yeah… I remember… Well, Italy and the monster just disappeared! West was gone too!" said Prussia.

Germany said, "I'm not fond of… supernatural… things. It's not like I just ran and hid, though. But, I suppose that it doesn't matter though. All that matters now is that we're all safe."

"Yes. We should discuss what we're going to do in the future, rather than think of what we could have done in the past," said Japan.

"Yes. We can only conclude that the monster has made us prisoners here. Though… having no way out is really what bothers me."

"I wish I could go home," Japan said, "I've been waiting for some games that are to be released soon."

"Me too!" said Italy, "I can't have any pizza or pasta here!"

"You all keep talking about a way out. All of the doors are locked, but I don't see why we don't make one ourselves. Didn't you do that when you were prisoners of war? It's time to put those skills into action!" Prussia said.

"Germany worked hard to make a way out for us while Japan was gone… but this time, I promise I'll help too!" said Italy.

"Alright, so the plan is that tomorrow we'll make a way out," said Germany.

"I don't know what time it is, but we'll have to sleep here now," Japan said.

"My watch broke!" said Italy.

"It would be dangerous if we all go to sleep!" said Germany, "I think one of us should stay up and keep watch."

"Shall we play Janken to decide?" asked Japan.

"What's… 'Janken'?" Italy asked.

Japan sighed. "It's the Japanese equivalent of Rock-Paper-Scissors, or Rochambeau."

"Ahh!" said Italy.

Prussia POV-

Prussia sighed. He had to keep watch, OF COURSE.

He always got stuck with the worst job.

Prussia glanced at his friends. They really looked sound asleep.

Prussia took a few pictures. They may be great for blackmail, later on.

The fire seemed to crackle impossibly loudly. Prussia inched closer, the orange glow giving everything an eerie feel.

Prussia was cold. He knew that the fire was strong enough, though.

Suddenly, a jolt of ice ran down Prussia's spine as he heard a clank come from outside.

It was shaking the door handle. Trying to get in.

He… he was just hearing…

Right?

Should he wake the others? Prussia didn't know what to do.

"There is no one here!" Prussia yelled in desperation.

The sound was loud now. It seemed impossible that they weren't awake.

But… Aha! Prussia decided he's use Japan's strategy of staying calm. Maybe he could turn off his aura, and it would go away.

So, Prussia tried hard to stay silent. Everything seemed amplified by a million, though. The clanking sounds, his heartbeat. Even the quiet breathing of his friends.

"I… I guess I can't use Japan's strategy," Prussia whispered to himself, "Right… I have no choice, then."

He mentally told them to forgive them for his rash decision. It was difficult being alone.

But… at least it would protect his friends.

Prussia opened the door.

The…

The thing!

Prussia was alone now… he couldn't defeat it alone.

THIS WAS THE WRONG CHOICE.

3RD POV-

You cannot enter the house without angering the spirits that live there.

The allies walked up to the door.

"It's really here!" China exclaimed.

"I thought it was just a rumor…" said England, "It's actually here."

"This desolate feel gives it a rather… nice tough," said France, wiggling his eyebrows.

England made a face.

"I don't think it's very interesting, though. It looks vintage, though fairly ordinary," said Canada.

"Did you… hear a voice just now," America said.

Canada's expression was a mixture of sadness and anger.

"Oh, America, you tease!" said Russia, "We didn't hear anything!"

All of the other countries backed away from Russia slowly.

"Still," America said, "It doesn't look like a very… fun place."

"Let's take a look inside, and go back!" Russia smiled before adding, "We can leave before nightfall."

"Yeah, I don't want to stay to long either," said China.

"Shall we go in?" asked France.

Russia POV-

America, Canada, and Russia stood in front of one of the doors to the rooms on the first floor.

"The rumors say it's haunted, right?" asked Russia.

Canada jerked upright.

"It's such an eerie place. No wonder no one comes near it."

"What?" asked Canada, "How unusual of you, America. Are you scared?"

"No!" America changed the subject, "Where's everyone else?"

"They said that they would leave the first floor to us. Then they went right up to the second floor," said Russia.

France POV-

France, England and China looked around on the second floor.

"It's… cleaner than you would think," said France, "Is it not?"

"Yeah… but… can we go now?" England said.

"What's the matter, England? Are you scared?" France prodded him.

"Of course not, you idiot! That's not it, it's just that this place is sort of…"

China sighed, "You're being stupid. There are no ghosts here. You can go back if you want."

"Are you going to look around on you own?" asked France. France realized that that would be a really bad idea. Even if a person was skilled with weaponry, and fighting knowledge, they had no idea what lurked in the shadows of this house.

"No. I'm just going to look around in this room here. It smells a little bad."

France crinkled his nose. It did smell a little sour.

"What? Isn't that a little risky, us leaving? Wait!" cried England.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Gunshots**

France POV-

"I can't help but have a really unpleasant feeling about this place," said France. His eyes flickered around the bedroom. It looked fairly normal, but France did still feel a bit edgy.

France watched as England shifted his glance to the ground.

"You've been quiet for a while now. What's wrong, idiot?"

"No… there's nothing… or no one at all here…"

"Russia and the others are on the first floor," said China.

"Yes, I know. I meant… How should I put it?" England seemed to be taking quite a bit longer to process these thoughts than usual, France noticed, "It just seems that everything's being… consumed."

"You mean you can't see the unusual illusions? If even the illusions are being consumed, then maybe we should keep out…" France felt strange. Everything seemed out of place.

"I agree," said China, "In that case, we'll go and take a look upstairs. What are you going to do, Opium?"

England shot China a glare, "I don't really want to stay here. I'll go too."

"You're going to leave me here? Well then, if you're done checking upstairs, we'll meet here again," France said.

"All right," agreed China, "Then we'll leave the second floor to you."

"Thirty minutes should be enough," said England.

"You can trust me!" France said, "I'll see you later."

"Are you going to start in that room over there?" asked China, "down the hall?"

"That room is bad news, isn't it? I'll leave it for later."

England POV-

England and China were quiet while they looked through the large library. They checked all the shelves, and all the books.

England would never admit it, but he did feel a bit bad for leaving France behind. It wasn't fair to him. But at the same time, this house messed up his magical field so much, he just wanted to leave.

China and England checked another room next.

England was surprised by the room. The rest of the house closely followed Japanese culture. This room seemed to follow English culture more than anything. The carpet and walls were grey. They had wallpaper instead of plain paint.

But, England was impressed by the beautiful, sleek, black piano set in the middle of the room. England wasn't often impressed by musical instruments, but this one was different in a way like everything else in the house was.

There was still something about the room that bothered him. He wondered if it could be the piano, itself.

England tried a few of the keys, and even played a tune to see if there was anything wrong with it. It seemed to be an ordinary piano, though.

China and England decided to go up one more flight of stairs to check it out.

They went to the door at the very end of the hallway.

This whole place made England feel… strange. He wondered if anything already lived here.

They walked into the room, and England saw something that made him jump, "Oh! That's-"

"What… a creepy chair," China interrupted, "It looks like the cursed chair I saw back in China."

"… Well, we've come all the way to the fourth floor. Everything looks fairly normal," England paused, and glanced around the room nervously, "The air is terrible, though."

"Yes," said China. England watched as China took a moment to glance around the room. "There is still a bad feeling that I can't shake. Let's go find France, and maybe once we find the others we can get out of here."

"Yeah," agreed England, "Well, let's-"

 _BOOM!_

England jumped. The whole house vibrated. Gunshots.

The two of them waited quietly.

England didn't jump the second time, but he counted six more gunshots.

"That sound…" England mumbled under his breath. It sounded like America's gun…

"Is it the sound of America's pistol?" England could detect the nervousness in China's voice, "He fired a lot…"

England's eyes widened. Oh no. He hoped that it didn't mean… "Something's happened?"

"In a place like this? Don't you just think he fell for Russia's provocation?" England felt a bit angry at how China was brushing it off. They'd been having bad feelings ever since they arrived. It was likely that something could've happened.

England bit his tongue. China was probably right. This place still had a bad vibe, though. "Oh well… they do get carried away when they mess around with each other…"

"No… I feel as if it's something different from messing around… We should go join France and take a look."

"If you insist."

Once England and China made it to the first floor, they waited in eerie silence.

"Fifteen minutes," muttered England, under his breath. Where _was_ France? He should have been there by now. "Isn't France coming?"

"What's the meaning of this?" asked China, "It shouldn't take this long to see the second floor."

England looked for an answer. Anything would do.

They weren't really looking for an answer about France. They were still trying to comfort themselves. England hoped that France was okay, though.

"Maybe… he got tired of waiting, and went downstairs?" England proposed.

"… Well, yes. He certainly gets bored easily. I'll check the rooms on the second floor to make sure that we didn't miss each other. You wait here, alright?"

"Yeah…" England felt useless, but there was nothing he could really do to help at the moment anyway, "Or else we may miss each other again."

England sat down, though the ground was dusty. China wandered off.

England wondered if any of the rumors about this place were true. Most of them were spread by Italy, so England assumed that they would be rubbish. Ghosts and monsters weren't realistic. But, then again, neither were personifications of countries who could do magic. England supposed that anything was possible.

But… if the rumors were true…

They were in trouble.

China POV-

It was so quiet in the house, that China could hear his own footsteps echo off the walls.

He went down the left hallway first. He checked the only room, and it seemed to be ordinary. But, no France.

So, China decided to go down the right hallway, and try both of the doors there. The door on the right seemed to be fine. It was another bedroom. China wondered if this was an old inn. There were lots of bedrooms, an excessive amount for a mansion like this one.

The one on the left, though, was a bit strange. Not in appearance, but it seemed as if someone had been there recently. There was burnt firewood in the fireplace. It was the source of the bad smell that China had mentioned earlier.

China knelt down to examine the ashes for burnt bits of things that may be important.

He prodded at it with the poker. China found a piece of white fabric with shiny gold threading.

His eyes widened, and he thrust his hand in.

It was a piece of Japan's clothes. Blood was splattered around the edges, and China felt his heart rate quicken.

If anything had happened to Japan… The one who he'd raised as his little brother…

China wasn't even sure what he'd do.

He felt a little confused, though. Japan had specifically told him that he wasn't going to come here. Maybe it wasn't Japan's? China hoped that it was just a coincidence.

China took a deep breath and knelt back down. He found a couple more of the fabric scraps. A few of them had the deep, red liquid smeared across them. There were remains of several things that got burned, but China couldn't even tell what most of them were.

China quickly checked the other rooms on the second floor, he'd wasted enough time in the fireplace room.

Nothing prominently seemed out of the ordinary, except in the room down the right hallway, and to the left. There was a heavy metal door that he couldn't get open. China decided to leave it. If he couldn't open it, he was doubtful that France could.

China reported back to England.

"Well?" asked England, "Did you find him?"

China was about to answer, but he stuck his hands in his pockets, and was reminded of the scraps of fabric. His eyes widened.

"What's wrong with you?" asked England, "You look frightfully pale!"

China pulled out the fabric. "I found some of Japan's clothes burnt in the fireplace."

He watched as England's expression changed, "This is… blood, right? Wait, did you say that they're Japan's clothes? You mean they-"

"This place is dangerous! But… if Japan is here, it's a different matter. I'll find him, and go home!"

"Calm down, I say! Try thinking about this rationally! Why would Japan be here? Listen, we only came because we went along with America's idiotic story and had nothing better to do, right?"

"That's why this is so weird!"

"You said it yourself, though. Didn't you talk to Japan? When you did he said, 'I'll see what I can do,' which is something he says when he doesn't want to do something. So, he didn't come. You even texted him when we got here! He replied 'be careful' only once. But he sent that from the meeting place!"

"Oh…"

"Just think about it! He's in the meeting place right now! He couldn't have possibly gotten here before us!"

"Then what is this!" China was getting a bit frustrated. He pushed the fabric into England's hands. "These are the same as the clothes as Japan was wearing today! Why would they be burning in the fireplace?"

"Well…"

"France is missing, too! America was even shooting at something! This place is too weird! We'll go talk to the others about it!"

"Alright…" England trailed off, "Anyway, the chances of these belonging to Japan- Well, we can't be sure of anything yet."

England and China began to look around for the others on the first floor.

The left half of the first floor was empty. There was a bathroom, and a smaller storage room, maybe? China wasn't sure.

There was also a locked door on the left half. China guessed that it probably led to the basement.

They turned left again once they got to the entrance, and found a room stocked with Japanese armor and weaponry. China wondered if America had seen it yet.

In the weaponry room, there was a locked door down a small hallway to the right. Most of the doors here seemed to be locked.

In the right hallway from the entrance, they found a library. It seemed fairly ordinary. The books were covered in dust, though.

In the last room, there was a monster. China blinked.

It was very big, almost to the point where one person would be unable to take it on alone. It had even, grey skin, and blank, black eyes. It reminded China of America's alien friend.

Russia and Canada were staring at it, not attacking.

"What the-" China heard England's voice break.

"Th… what the hell is that thing?" China called out. He probably should have stayed quiet, he realized a moment later, and he could've got away.

"You two sure took your time! As you can see, we're in the middle of an assult!" China jumped at Russia's tone of voice.

"You two… better run…" Canada muttered.

China was frozen, though. He was unable to even move, much less run.

He watched in horror as the Thing struck at Russia. Russia fell backward, slamming his head against the ground. He seemed to shake it off fairly quickly, though. He got back up.

"Russia!" Canada called. China could hear the worry in his voice.

"… That hurt," China heard Russia mumble, "The water pipes in this place are useless," He smiled, "Good thing that I brought one of my own."

"It's no use!" China realized what a glass half empty kind of person Canada was, "Even if it is yours, it's just a tap!"

Russia popped off the end of his water pipe, from the curved end was a sharp sword.

"What the hell?" asked England.

"It's actually a cane sword! I asked Japan to make it for me!"

China's heart dropped at Japan's name.

No, he shouldn't think about that right now. It wouldn't help anything.

Russia smiled, sickeningly sweet, "It's sharp, isn't it?"

Russia struck at the Thing. It didn't pierce the skin, but it made it back off a little. "Whoa!" said China, "That's nasty!"

"It didn't cause any damage at all!" Canada said.

Again with the glass half empty personality!

"Let's give them some reinforcements!" said England.

China didn't want to, but he knew that they had to, "Aru, right!"

Before any of them had a chance to strike, it seemed to curse them. China felt it zap his energy. Black spots danced across his vision, and he swayed. It took him a moment to regain his balance.

But, China felt the power from the curse pulse around the room again.

And the world faded to black.

England POV-

England heard Russia's sword clatter to the ground.

He was alone. All his friends had were unable to fight because the curses were too much. England had had experience with magic before though, and he was able to stay on his feet.

Before England could do anything about it, the monster hit him.

He slammed into the ground, his ears rang, and his vision was blurry.

They were defeated. England wondered if they could possibly die here. They were countries, but…

"It didn't work at all!" Russia cried. It frightened England. If Russia was afraid, then it had to be really bad.

"England!" China exclaimed, "Why aren't you doing anything useful!"

England shot a glare in China's direction.

He tried a spell. It fizzled out before it could do anything. The next time, it didn't work at all.

The Thing seemed to be… blocking his magic. It was a different feeling from anything England had ever felt before. It was like… something didn't want his magic to happen, as if something was preventing it from happening.

"This place itself is blocking my magic! It looks like I can only use a small part of it!"

"What?" China's eyes widened, "I have no strength left, neither do the others!"

They _were_ going to die here.

The Thing approached England, and England felt his eye twitch.

This was where he was going to-

"GET DOWN!"

England hit the ground. White hot lines of ancient Japanese curses wrapped around the monster's body.

Japan hacked at it with his katana. England was slightly impressed at the courage to willingly take it on by himself.

"J-Japan?" England called. He was sure that Japan had stayed behind.

"Japan!" England could nearly hear the relief flooding into China's voice, "So you did come here!"

"Yes." Japan continued to stab at the monster with his sword. It was making it retreat little by little.

"It's awfully strong…" Canada muttered.

"Shall we help you?" asked Russia.

"No need to worry," Japan managed to fit in between stabs, "Allow me to pay back in kind for the injuries you sustained."

Japan POV-

Once the monster dissipated, it took Japan a moment to realize he could stop flailing chaotically with his sword.

He stood, and dragged the back of his hand across his forehead. He tried to control his panting.

"Can you get up, England?" Japan asked.

England stood up. "Yeah. Japan… have you fought that monster before, or something? It wasn't the first time, was it? You certainly didn't act like it was the first time."

"What?" Japan was confused, hadn't England fought it before? This surely wasn't his first time fighting the monster, "What are you talking about. You've fought the monster before, haven't you?" They did get here first, after all…

"We haven't been here for even an hour!" China said, "And you weren't even supposed to be here yet!"

"That's true," Russia said, "China sent Japan a message, and Japan replied from the meeting place, right?"

"Yes, and then Italy said he wanted to come too," Japan stuck his sword back in its sheath, "So I came with him, Germany, and Prussia. But…"

"What?" Canada interrupted, "It takes three hours to get here from the meeting place! We really have been here for only an hour. Don't you think that's a bit… odd?"

"… There many things we need to talk about. We shall go to the second floor. I know of a safe room there."

"W-wait a minute!" Exclaimed China, "What are these, then? Aren't they your clothes, covered in blood?"

"I threw those into the fireplace… why do you have them?"

"I found them when I went to that room! Aren't you… hurt…?"

"That's not blood. Italy should probably explain that. It's… tomato."

"… Huh?"

"I'm not hurt, but let's go find Germany and Italy. We'll explain the situation to you."

Japan decided to check on the first floor first. It seemed like the most reasonable place to begin.

He checked the room with the Mochi first. Japan patted it and told it to wait a bit longer.

Next, Japan checked the lever room. He was about to leave when he noticed a piece of paper under one of the tables. He carefully picked it up. He studied it for a second. It was half a piece of copy paper with two colored rectangles on it. He stuffed it into his pocket. They'd talk about it at the meeting.

Next, he checked the third floor, but no one was there. Russia offered to stay and look, but Japan said that it was best to stick together. He didn't want someone to get lost or something.

He finally found Italy and Germany in the room that Japan had originally found Germany in on the second floor.

The iron door was still closed…

Once Japan had told Italy of the situation, Italy said, "What? Everyone's here? Let's go back to the fireplace room, then!"

"Yes. Some are missing. We'll have an emergency meeting now."

Japan figured that Germany must be inside the iron door again, "Germany, let's go. We can't make the others wait."

"Understood. Sorry."

"Ve-Are you okay now? Do you need to go back again?"

Japan remained calm. But what didn't these people understand about the words, 'let's go'.

"No, it's okay." Oh good. "And I probably won't come back here again. At least… I hope I won't." Germany's expression fell, "You haven't found my brother, have you?"

"…No."

"It'll be okay!" said Italy, "Cheer up, Germany! If you're like that, We'll never find Prussia!"

Germany looked at his feet, "You're right… sorry."

"Come on. They're waiting for us," said Japan.

The three of them walked down the hallway. Germany and Italy walked in silence. Japan wished one of them would say something.

"Sorry for making you wait," said Japan. He heard Germany lock the door behind them. "I will explain our situation. I received a message from China saying that you had arrived here. Italy thought that it would be interesting and wanted to come as well." Japan said, "Germany, Italy, Prussia and I came here. I went to go look around, but they were found and attacked by the monster that you saw."

"Were you alright after that?" England asked. His tone was strange. Japan had never seen any of the nations act as they were then.

"Yes!" said Italy, "For better or worse, it seemed to be targeting me," Italy's expression fell. Japan hadn't realized that. He wondered if Italy had just felt that it had been targeting him because he was scared. Though, Italy wasn't often targeted, so he may notice the difference… Japan didn't know. "I'm good at running away, so I was able to escape."

"You got away?" China sounded vaguely surprised, "That's…"

"Eventually," said Japan, "While we did not know the true nature of 'The Thing', we all got together again. We spent the night in this room, we had a sense of security because we had the key to it."

"The night…" Russia muttered.

"That is… odd," said Canada, "I mean, we… Oh, I'm sorry. Please, go on."

"We've run out of firewood," said Italy, "Can I burn this wooden box?"

Japan took a glance at the box. It was just the one that they had found in the room with the Mochi earlier. There was nothing special about it.

"Yes," said Germany, "We can burn anything that can be used for fuel."

"We decided that one of us should keep watch," Japan continued his story, "Prussia kindly took up this duty. But maybe because of our sense of security," Japan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. This part was a bit embarrassing, "The three of us fell into a deep sleep. When we woke up, Prussia was gone. There were bloodstains in the hallway, so I followed the trail. But… eventually…"

"The trail ended," Russia confirmed.

"We tried looking for him!" said Italy. "We didn't want to lose anyone else, though… so Germany and I stood by. But, then Japan found you guys, right?"

"Yes. But, I thought that America and France would be with you."

"Yeah," said England, "The three of us came here on America's suggestion, and we split into two groups. China, France and I went to check out the second floor while America, Canada and Russia looked around the first floor."

"We had a bad feeling while we were on the second floor, so Opium and I went to check out the third and fourth floors," said China. "When we finished looking, France was gone. I found Japan's clothes burnt in the fireplace, and I wondered what had happened."

"We came back to the first floor, and found Russia and Canada fighting that thing. The bastard disappeared the first chance he got," England said.

Japan said, "Really? I vaguely noticed when I was fighting it, but that strange creature…"

"It resembles a friend of America's doesn't it?" asked Germany.

"That's right! I noticed the moment I saw it!" said China. "That's definitely it! Um… its name was…"

"To… Tommy, wasn't it?" asked Germany.

"Yeah, that was it. They look identical. Don't you think this was America's doing?" said England. "He's the one who heard the rumor and asked us to come here, after all."

"I see!" said Italy, "So this is just a prank of America's that got too far! Well, in that case, there is nothing else to say! Let's look for America!"

"You're mistaken," said Canada.

"Huh?" asked England.


End file.
